From the Bonusgate convictions to the changing of the guard under the
dome and Gov. Ed's swansong, there's been no shortage of news in the seat of power in 2010.

Join co-hosts Scott Detrow and John L. Micek as they run down the year's biggest headlines, look back at some of their favorite stories from the year that was, and look ahead to the big headlines in 2011.

And in Drops of Knowledge, there's just way too intense a focus on British politics. But, hey, that's just the way we roll.

So sit back, pour yourself and adult beverage and turn up the hi-fi for the 2010 wrap-up edition of Pennsylvania's Favorite Political Podcast. We'll be back in 2011 to give you the news behind the headlines.

1. The PA Turnpike Is Mulling ... ... whether to get rid of cash tolls entirely, the Bucks County Courier Times reports this morning. The agency has apparently hired a consulting firm to study the possibility of switching to a cashless tolling system. Two firms, McCormick Taylor Inc., of Philadelphia, and Wilbur Smith Associates Inc., of Columbia, S.C., will conduct the study. "But wait!" you exclaim. "What will become of all those patronage jobs if they get rid of cash tolls?" Easy does it, kids. Don't think the Turnpike hasn't thought of that. No one's talking about getting rid of the 615 full-time, and 150 or 200 part-timers, just yet. "The Comission has only hired a team to do a feasibility study. No contract has been issued yet, so there is no dollar amount on what the study will cost," spokesman Carl DeFebo said. "[The companies] will look at whether a cashless system would work, how it would work and what it would cost to implement."

2. First $650 Million In Bond Debt ... ... now a brewing labor dispute. Still glad you took the job, Gov.-Elect Corbett?Gov. Ed's decision not to extend state employee unions' contracts has set up showdown with the incoming administration, the Patriot-News reports this morning. Seventeen of the 19 unions that represent nearly 60,000 state workers have contracts that expire in 2011. And leaders of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 13, Pennsylvania Social Services Union Local 668 and the United Food and Commercial Workers approached Gov. Ed about the possibility of a one-year extension before he heads for the door next month. While the Guv exhibited some interest, he decided to punt and left it to Corbett to figure out, the P-N reported. “The issue was examined and the determination was made that this is something that needs to be dealt with this year,” Corbett spokesman Kevin Harley said. So union talks ... and closing a $4 billion deficit without a tax hike? This should make for an amusing first 100 days.

3. Earthbound Deity And Penn State Football Coach ... ... Joe Paterno says he has no plans to retire. Don't we read this story every year? C'Mon, the guy's only only 1,342. By Old Testament standards, he's still a spring chicken. He has at least three or four more seasons left in him.

5. The Corbett Administration ... ... isn't filling any more cabinet posts until after the New Year, but Capitolwire has its eyes on two, early favorites. Citing anonymous sources, the online news org says John Hines, currently a deputy secretary in DEP, has emerged as the pick to run the agency. And Corbett's fund-raiser, Nan McLaughlin, appears to be the odds-on favorite to become the administration's chief-of-staff in the wake of aide-de-camp Brian Nutt's decision to bolt for the private sector earlier this month.

All right, that's it for now. We'll be back later today as events warrant.

And Not Only That ...
... they would have been doing higher-order mathematics problems on their way to the Linc, the Guv opined on 97.5 FM in
Philly (via ESPN):

"My biggest beef is that this is part of what's happened in this country," Rendell said. "I think we've become wussies."

"We've become a nation of wusses. The Chinese are kicking our butt in everything," Rendell added. "If this was in China do you think the Chinese would have called off the game? People would have been marching down to the stadium, they would have walked and they would have been doing calculus on the way down."

There must be something very freeing about knowing you only have three weeks left and can't be fired ...

For those of you keeping score, that wouldn't happen in Pennsylvania, where the LG's primary responsibilities include overseeing emergency management efforts.

2. As Homeowners Around The Country ... ... continue to struggle to fend off foreclosure proceedings, a working group of attorneys general and banking officials from all 50 states has been gathering evidence in its probe of potentially improper or illegal lending and servicing practices, our mothership colleague, Tim Darragh, reports this morning. The group, led by Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller, has met a number of times with representatives of five top mortgage lenders and servicers — GMAC/Ally, J.P. Morgan Chase, Citibank, Wells Fargo and Bank of America, said Miller's spokesman, Geoff Greenwood. "We are having ongoing discussions with these institutions," Greenwood said. "We have also met with groups of investors and a number of consumers … We are well under way with that process." The investigation came together quickly in the fall, after complaints arose about lenders and servicers using "robo-signing" practices that may have failed to follow proper handling of mortgage notes.

4. How To Govern Dept.Gov. Ed has passed off what's being described as a "Handbook of Challenges" to Gov.-Elect Tom Corbett, the AP reports this morning. The administration turned over thousands of pages of the agency transition reports, providing an immense amount of information. The reports include information on the size and deployment of the state work force, their budgetary needs, the status of pending litigation, the state's obligations under federal laws and a host of "sensitive issues" that will demand immediate attention, the AP reported.

5. That Legislative Fiscal Office ... ... dreamed up by Sen. Pat Browne, R-Lehigh, is beginning to take shape, the Times-Tribune of Scranton reports this morning. Though preparations are underway, the new office won't be ready to weigh in on Gov.-Elect Tom Corbett's tax and spending proposals until fiscal 2012-13 -- his second year in office, Browne told the newspaper. Among the first orders of business is to hire a director for the new office by May. According to the Times-Tribune, that can be done with the votes of six of 10 legislative leaders designated to make the pick, but many hope a consensus choice emerges. "The story of how effective the office will be is in the independence of the director," Browne told the newspaper.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — State Sen. Michael O'Pake, the longest-serving member of the
Pennsylvania Legislature, has died.

The 70-year-old O'Pake died Monday morning at Reading Hospital and Medical Center of complications from heart-bypass surgery on Nov. 22, said an aide, Jim Hertzler.

O'Pake, a Democrat from Berks County, was elected to the state House of Representatives in 1968 and to the state Senate four years later.

As the first chairman of the Senate Aging and Youth Committee, he helped write the Child Protective Services law that helps victims of child abuse and was a leading advocate of the state's Children's Health Insurance Program. He also fought for legislation that created the state Department of Aging and separate offices of aging in every county.

"Senator O’Pake committed his life to public service and making life better for all the citizens of Pennsylvania and his beloved Berks County. Senator O’Pake was a fighter for those in need. From seniors who needed help in paying for life-saving prescription drugs to children that benefitted from his work in creating the state’s children’s health insurance program, Senator O’Pake was a leader who made a difference.

“Senator O’Pake’s was the first chair of the Senate Aging and Youth Committee, wrote the protective services law for children and fought tirelessly for juvenile justice reform. He also was a leader in trying to make college more affordable for Pennsylvania students.

“Mike was a friend and colleague who could be counted on for kind words and sage advice in the most trying circumstances. He worked across the aisle and built bridges trying to find solutions that help all Pennsylvanians.”

"Senator O'Pake's heart belonged to Berks County. For the past four decades, he dedicated his life to serving the residents of the 11th Senatorial District. He will be remembered as a tireless advocate for children, seniors, and crime victims. We will miss our friend Senator O'Pake, and we extend our deepest sympathies to his family and friends as they mourn this loss."

Here's what he told another Philly TV station, according to the Associated Press:

"This is football; football's played in bad weather," Rendell told KYW-TV. "I think the fans would have gotten there, the subways work and the major arteries are still open and other fans would have stayed home. But you play football regardless of the weather."

The governor, who does football commentaries after Eagles games, was asked what Vince Lombardi would say about the postponement.

"He'd be mocking us," he said.

Here's the' NFL's explanation for the cancellation, given to ESPN yesterday:

"Due to public safety concerns in light of today's snow emergency in Philadelphia, tonight's Vikings-Eagles game has been postponed. Because of the uncertainty of the extent of tonight's storm and its aftermath, the game will be played on Tuesday night at 8 p.m. This will allow sufficient time to ensure that roads, parking lots and the stadium are fully cleared."

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, said this to ESPN: "We'll be prepared. Either way, if there is a game or not, the city will be ready. But it's the NFL's call to play the game or not."

So, was Ed Rendell right? Did the decision to cancel the game make Philadelphia look like a city of wussies? Weigh in in our poll.

Good Monday Morning, Fellow Seekers. We're off this week, which means a lighter than usual posting schedule. So let's just dive right into it, shall we?

1. Snow, Snow, Snow. The Capital region may have been spared, but our friends in southeastern Pennsylvania are digging out from under the mother of all snowstorms this morning. The monster snow snarled traffic, shutdown airports and caused the postponement of yesterday's Philadelphia Eagles game, which, in turn, prompted criticism that the Eagles were somehow showing weakness by not soldiering on in blizzard conditions. We'll pause to note here that the loudest criticisms came from people who wouldn't actually have to PLAY in the game. Like this guy, for instance: "This is football; football's played in bad weather," Gov. Ed told CBS-3. "I think the fans would have gotten there, the subways work and the major arteries are still open, and other fans would have stayed home, but you play football regardless of the weather."

3. Is The Marcellus Shale Severance Tax ... The "Black Knight" of Pennsylvania politics? Just when you thought the tax was dead, a top Senate Republican appeared to hint that the issue wasn't quite as dead as previously supposed. The Senate Majority Policy Committee will hold hearings on the local impact of drilling early next year, our friends at Capitolwire report. And Senate President Pro Tem Joe Scarnati, R-Jefferson, who first mentioned the idea of a local impact fee as the session ended last month, said he’s had “some positive conversations and some negative conversations” on an emerging tax proposal. “I think people want to see the complete package,” Scarnati tells Capitolwire'sLaura Olson.

4. The new federal healthcare reform law could put a crimp in state lawmakers' efforts to contain Pennsylvania's Medicaid costs, the Tribune-Review reports this morning. The new law, for instance, prevents legislators from restricting Medicaid eligibility next year and mandates expanded eligibility in 2014. "It is the fastest growing part of the budget, and it's going to be hard to estimate the first year," Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Jake Corman, R-Centre, tells the newspaper.Corman, more astute readers will note, is contemplating a run for U.S. Senate.

5. Our friends at Capitolwire also take a look at the recent doings by Auditor General Jack Wagner, who seemingly found his mojo during the last few weeks of the year, releasing a flurry of audits and generally being even more of a bee in the administration's bonnet than usual.Wagner, opines Capitolwire'sPete DeCoursey, appears poised to be "the first prominent fiscally-conservative Democrat in this state in decades." This probably also means more press conferences ... Oy ...

On The Capitol Ideas iPod This Morning. Sometimes, it's the little things that make you happy -- like a new Duran Duran video. We unapologetically like these guys. From their new record, here's "All You Need Is Now."

Monday's Gratuitous Soccer Link. Yesterday was Boxing Day in England, which means soccer was played. The Guardian has the round-up of all the day's action. Including Manchester United's2-0 win over a hapless Sunderland. We confess that we're still a little unclear over the meaning of Boxing Day. It has always struck us as one of those quaint traditions -- like putting Schnauzers in little sweaters -- that is better to accept than to think too hard about.

Good Morning, Fellow Seekers. From the Micek family to yours, we'd like to wish you a very Merry Christmas.

As we have in years past, we'll leave you this morning with a classic piece of video courtesy of WPIX-TV in New York, which, for years, broadcast looped footage of a burning Yule log (all the better to warm the days of city dwellers without fireplaces).

Along with "The Honeymooners" marathon broadcast on WPIX on New Year's Day, this piece of tape remains one of the indelible memories of our youth in the Tri-State area. We hope you enjoy it. But we also hope you have far better things to do than read "Capitol Ideas" this morning.

To All The Capitol Ideas Readers:
Thanks for all your friendship and support in 2010. On its best days, we like to think this blog is a community of friends who, although they may disagree from time to time, are united in their obsession with politics and maybe (if we're lucky) changing the dialogue in Harrisburg for the better. You, the readers, make that possible.

All our best for a Merry Christmas and a peaceful New Year. We'll see you back here next week.

But before we go, here's the No. 1 entry in the countdown of the Top 10 Christmas Pop Songs. It's Bing Crosby and David Bowie with "The Little Drummer Boy (Peace on Earth)."

Good Thursday Morning, Everyone.
As you might expect on the Thursday before the holiday, things are a touch on the slow side.
Luckily, House Democrats and Republicans have named their committee bosses for the legislative session that starts next month. For those of you playing along at home, here's a hand clip-and-save list.

No Sooner Than He'd Been Named ...
... chief of staff to the new Corbett administration, veteran political operative Brian Nutt is off to the private sector.

In a surprise move, Nutt will serve as the managing partner of a new Harrisburg office of Pittsburgh mega-political consulting firm BrabenderCox, it was announced this afternoon.

In that position, Nutt will serve as the head of Corbett's political messaging department -- kind of the Republican equivalent of Obama adviser David Plouffe.

In an interview, BrabenderCox boss John Brabender said he'd begun speaking to Nutt right after the election about running a Harrisburg office for the firm, which already has offices in Pittsburgh and Washington.

"Tom Corbett wanted Brian to remain in some kind of political messaging role," but that could only happen outside the administration, Brabender said.

In a statement, Nutt said he "[looked] forward to providing Tom Corbett with strategic counseling and advice in his efforts to restart Pennsylvania’s economy, and return fiscal discipline to state government,’’ Nutt said.

Nutt, 41, successfully steered Corbett to two terms as attorney general in 2004 and 2008 as campaign manager, and he ran Corbett's successful gubernatorial campaign against Democrat Dan Onorato this fall.

Nutt said he'd reached his decision after "additional consideration, and consultation with the Governor-elect."

"I have decided not to enter the Corbett administration, but instead pursue my passion for politics, campaigns, and helping to elect candidates,” Nutt said. “I also felt the offer to join one of the nation’s premiere political and public affairs consulting firms was an opportunity I didn’t want to pass up.”

Nutt was named to the administration position earlier this month, along with two other longtime Corbett staffers. He will stay on through the transition, where he serves as chief-of-staff.

Corbett's spokesman, Kevin Harley, said Corbett will be interviewing prospective replacements for Nutt.

He, too, said Corbett was looking forward to having his chief strategist working on his behalf instead of "sitting on a shelf" for the next four years.
In an interview, Brab

Going Back To The Ridge Administration Well ...
... Gov.-Elect Tom Corbett has named Charles Zogby,
who served as Secretary of Education under Govs. Tom Ridge and Mark Schweiker, as his pick for budget secretary, the transition said this afternoon.

Zogby. 48, of Mechanicsburg, Cumberland County, is currently the Senior Vice President of Education and Policy for K12 Inc., an online school curriculum developer and provider.

Zogby served in the Ridge/Schweiker administration from 2001 to 2003 before departing for the private sector.

“Our goal is to enact a responsible, commonsense budget,” Corbett said in a statement. “Charles Zogby’s experience and knowledge of the inner workings of state government make him an ideal choice as Budget Secretary.”

Although it is a cabinet position, budget secretary does not require Senate confirmation,

Gov. Ed Rendell has an end-of-term message for his campaign supporters: Surf's up!

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported Wednesday that the two-term governor and former mayor is throwing a party in his home city that will feature a concert by The Beach Boys.

The celebration at the Electric Factory is slated for Jan. 2 — barely two weeks before he leaves office. Rendell plans a short speech in addition to the surf-music pioneers, Rendell's favorite band even if only two original members are still in the lineup.

Rendell's campaign committee is footing the bill and expects several thousand people to attend. Michelle Singer, the executive director of the committee, says Rendell wants to thank everyone who has stood by him over the years.

He also lambasted senators who actively campaigned against their colleagues this year, notably conservative Republicans who supported Tea Party candidates over incumbent moderates, our D.C. colleague, Colby Itkowitz, reports this morning.

"That conduct was beyond contemplation in the Senate I joined 30 years ago. Collegiality can obviously not be maintained when negotiating with someone simultaneously out to defeat you, especially within your own party," Specter said. He added, "Eating or defeating your own is a form of sophisticated cannibalism."

Results of the 2010 Census released Tuesday show Pennsylvania's 3.4 percent growth rate was far below the national rate of 9.7 percent and leagues behind fast-growing states such as Texas, which will gain four seats in the U.S. House of Representatives after adding 4.2 million residents, our colleagues Scott Kraus and Colby Itkowitz report this morning.

That means Pennsylvania's congressional delegation will shrink from 19 members to 18 members, but it will be months before it's known who falls in the crosshairs. The Lehigh Valley was a growth area, making it unlikely that U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent, R-15th, will be affected.

With Republicans in control of the Legislature and the governor's office, it's more likely that a Democrat, possibly from western Pennsylvania, will be targeted.

If you think things are rough in PA, with its expected $4 billion deficit in 2011, try being incoming New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who's inheriting a deficit of at least $9 billion when he takes the reins from David Patterson in a few weeks.

Like certain other governors we can think of, Cuomo says he won't raise taxes to close the budget hole. And in Ohio, where residents face a $9 billion deficit, new Gov. John Kasich says he plans to cut taxes to make ends meet.

5. His Team May Have Lost Gloriously ... ... on Sunday, but you have to admire the stoic wit of N.Y. Giants coach Tom Coughlin.

Asked what he did after that embarrassing defeat by the Philadelphia Eagles, Coughlin told a reporter, "What did I do? I sat in a room with the lights out for about two and a half hours," he said. "It's not funny. It's not the way it's supposed to be."

On The Capitol Ideas iPod This Morning. We're into the home stretch of our annual countdown of the Top 10 Best Christmas Pop Songs. At No. 3, here's John Lennon and Yoko Ono with "Happy X-Mas (War is Over)." This one always reminds us of driving home in the dark on Christmas Eve.

Gov.-Elect Tom Corbett ...
... says he plans to nominate Glenn Moyer, 59, of Oley Township, Berks County, as the
next state banking secretary.

Moyer most recently worked as the special adviser to the CEO of National Penn Bancshares. He's also the director of the Pennsylvania Bankers Association, the transition said.

“Glenn Moyer has a wealth of experience and has shown leadership throughout his life and career, both in the banking industry and as an Officer in the U.S. Air Force,” Corbett said in a statement. “His expertise will be a valuable resource to the Corbett-Cawley administration as we work to turn our economy around and take Pennsylvania into the future.”

Good Morning, Fellow Seekers.
Just a couple of days to go before the holidays, so without preamble or preface, let's
just dive right into your Top 5 Reads of the Day for Tuesday.

1. End Of An Era Dept.Snarlendelivers his final Senate floor speech this morning, putting a cap on a four-decade career in public life.
Specter, 80, is expected to talk about his tenure as the state's longest-serving senator and his efforts to be a centrist, the AP reports. Any talk about the single-bullet theory is, therefore, a bonus.

2. No, My Audit Is Better.
So, you've all heard about those audits contending that the Department of Public Welfare is flushing millions of dollars in federal Medicaid money, right?
The Rendell administration released a federal audit yesterday showing that the state's error rate of 4 percent in handling Medicaid cases is well below the national average, the Tribune-Review reports.
State Auditor General Jack Wagner, citing a much larger sample size than the federal study, said he stands by an audit released last month showing an average error rate of 15.5 percent. An error rate of at least 10 percent would save the state $436 million a year, Wagner contends.

3. Cumberland County Commissioner Gary Eichelbergerhas released a trove of political e-mails that were written and used on the county's computer system -- in violation of county policy, the Patriot-News reports.
Revelations from these Wikileaklets include the observation that a female television reporter from central Pennsylvania possesses a "nice butt," while another opines that Cumberland County GOP Chairman Victor Stabile is "not an honest man or person of integrity. You cannot trust what he tells you.”
That oughta make the next Republican meeting awkward.

5. The Patriot-News Cracks The Hood ...
... on the retirement packages being paid out to retiring lawmakers, finding that six will receive pensions exceeding $100,000 a year.
For instance, outgoing Senate Minority Leader Robert Mellow is eligible for a maximum yearly payout of $330,915, or roughly double his annual salary.
Retiring Rep. Frank Oliver, D-Philadelphia, can receive a maximum payout of $235,686. The yearly wage for a rank-and-file legislator such as Oliver is $78,315 this year.

On The Capitol Ideas iPod This Morning.
Our countdown of the Top 10 Best Christmas Pop Songs moves into its final furlong this morning.
At No. 4, here's the late Alex Chilton's classic "Jesus Christ," as done by Mike Mills of R.E.M. and members of The Posies at a Chilton tribute show. Handy trivia points -- Mills covered "Jesus Christ" a few years back for the annual R.E.M. fan club single and Ken Stringfellow and Jon Auer of The Posies also pulled double-duty as members of the reconstituted version of Chilton's old band Big Star.

The Corbett Transition Picks Up Speed ...
... this afternoon with another cabinet announcement.

Gov.-Elect Tom Corbett has tapped Kelly Powell Logan,
47,of Mechanicsburg, Cumberland County, as Secretary of Administration. Logan's spent the last seven years at the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency as executive director of public service.

Logan also served as secretary of the Department of General Services under the Ridge/Schweiker administration from 2001-2003, the transition said.

“Kelly Powell Logan has dedicated more than 15 years to public service and has the drive and experience to be a valuable asset to the Corbett/Cawley administration,” Corbett said in a statement.

Good Monday Morning, Fellow Seekers.
A big howdy to all of you on this last Monday morning before Christmas. Hopefully, you've finished all your shopping and you're not, like us, feeling that same sense of blind gnawing unease as you get ready to brave the mall for a final time.

We'll be heading out later this morning to get those final items for those people who are so difficult to shop for -- what does one buy to go with a subpoena from the Attorney General's Office, anyway? We also have to stop by the UPS store to pick up some bubble wrap for a certain departing chief executive. And then it's off to the silk-screeners to pick up those "I'm With Miskin/Miskin's With Me," tee-shirts that we've had made up for the coming legislative session.

So while we make our list and check it twice, why don't you peruse the rest and the best of the day's political headlines?

Ever Wonder How ...
... your local Congressdrone spent his or her campaign money?
The Tribune-Review cracks the hood on some
Federal Election Commission reports for select members of PA's congressional delegation this morning and the results are hugely entertaining.
U.S. Rep. Bob Brady -- who had no opposition last fall -- spent $11,000 on gift cards to Capital Grille, more than $1,000 on meals at the Jersey shore and $34,000 on car leases on his way to spending $713,195.36 during the last election, the newspaper reported.
The campaign of U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle's, meanwhile, paid more than $2,700 for funeral baskets, spread over 21 occasions. And when Doyle, of Pittsburgh, and Brady, of Philadelphia, stayed in Johnstown for the funeral of the late U.S. Rep. John Murtha, both charged it back to their campaigns.
All told, PA's U.S. House and Senate candidates spent $78 million last year, with most of the money going to advertising, political consultants and travel, the newspaper reported.

State Sen. Jake Corman ...
... says he won't make up his mind on a widely discussed bid for U.S. Senate against Democratic incumbent Sen. Bob Caseyuntil after next year's state budget is completed.
Repeating comments he's made elsewhere, Corman, R-Centre,tells a local news Web site in State College that work on the 2011 spending plan is "the most important thing that's going on," right now.Corman chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Other Republicans said to be mulling a run are former Rick Santorum aide Marc Scaringe; U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent, R-15th; state Sen. Kim Ward, R-Westmoreland, and now U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy of Pittsburgh.

Gov.-Elect Tom Corbett ...
... has announced his picks to run the Pennsylvania State Police and the state Department of Corrections.

In a statement released this morning, Corbett said he's nominated Frank Noonan, 64, currently the head of the criminal investigations section of the Attorney General's Office, to run the state police.

According to the transition, Noonan is a career investigator with 30
years' experience, who did tours in the FBI and as the northeast regioonal director of the AG's Bureau of Narcotics Investigation. He was named head of the criminal division in July 2009.

Dubuque, Iowa! Hello! Greetings, fellow seekers. The King may be gone, but he'll never be forgotten. So this morning's edition of Capitol Ideas is dedicated to the thoroughly surreal legacy of CNN talk show host Larry King, who bowed out last night after 25 occasionally insane years on the air.

So, without further ado, let's get right to it, shall we?

1. A Little Off The Top Dept. Making us worry a little bit about his state of mind, our good pal Jon Delano of KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh notes on his Twitter feed this morning that Medical Assistance recipients in Pennsylvania can use their benefits to pay for circumcisions. There's even a handy graphic of states that do and do not provide the service. No word on whether that also covers the services of the mohl.

2. Deck-Chair Rearranging Dept.Pennsylvania Education Secretary Thomas Gluck (so THAT'S who's running DoE) will leave state employ end of the month to become a senior adviser to the Pennsylvania Association of Intermediate Units, the Patriot-News reports.Gluck is the fourth person to run the Education Department in Gov. Ed's eight-year administration. And while we're sure Mr. Gluck is a dedicated and hardworking public servant, we're sorry to say that his name never presented us with the rich comedic personalities of ex-Education Secretary Gerald Zahorchak (Gesundheit!).

4. Don't Drink The Water Dept.Gov. Edgave his personal sign-off yesterday to a settlement between the Department of Environmental Protection and Cabot Oil & Gas Corp. to address water contamination problems in Dimock Twp., Susquehanna County, the Times-Tribune reports this morning. "It's a good settlement because they [Cabot] share the fiscal responsibility of making this right," Rendell said at a Capitol newser. Under the terms of the settlement, Cabot has agreed to pay $4.1 million to residents affected by methane contamination attributed to faulty Cabot natural gas wells. In exchange, DEP has dropped its plan to build a 12½-mile waterline from Montrose to Dimock Twp. to restore water supplies to 19 families affected by methane contamination in their water supplies, the newspaper reported. Also, this plan in no way involves Cliff Lee, providing a refreshing break from most o the negotiations we've been reading about this week.

5. Fewer Jobless, Still No Money. Pennsylvania still faces a $4 billion budget shortfall when Gov.-Elect Tom Corbett takes over on Jan. 18. But the good news is, there'll be more people paying taxes to help offset it. Sorta. The state's unemployment rate dropped to 8.6 percent in November, which is lower than the national average of 9.8 percent,the Post-Gazette reports this morning. Two factors drove the increase: More people working and also fewer people looking for work. There are 9,000 more people working, but there are 5,000 fewer people looking for work.

On The Capitol Ideas iPod This Morning. Our countdown of the Top 10 Best Christmas Pop Songs continues this morning with an absolute classic. At No. 6, here's the immortal Darlene Love and "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)," performed live on David Letterman.

Greetings Listeners:
After yet another layover, we're back with the latest installment of Pennsylvania's Favorite Political Podcast.

Inside this week's edition, you'll find hosts John L. Micek and Scott Detrow taking a look at the state of Pennsylvania's fiscal health; the Corbett transition; this year's Pennsylvania Society festivities and the passing of Cleveland Indians great Bob Feller.

So, sit right back, pour yourselves an adult beverage and turn-up the Hi-Fi for nearly 25 minutes of the best in political commentary. As always, you can listen live in your browser or download the program to your desktop, all the better to give your friends concrete proof of your good taste.

Gov.-Elect Tom Corbett ... ... might well ask Pennsylvanians to do more with less when he unveils his first budget early next year. But when it comes to his Jan. 18 inauguration, the more that donors can pony up, the better.

Sponsorships for the day's events run from as little as $5,000 for the value-conscious shopper to $50,000 for those seeking to throw caution to the wind.

What do you get for your money? Excellent question. Glad you asked.

From the Web page, here's the details:

Diamond Inaugural Benefactor - $50,000 contribution Four tickets to the Inaugural Benefactors' Dinner Four tickets to the Inaugural Swearing-in Ceremony with preferred VIP seating Eight VIP tickets to the Sponsors' Reception and Inaugural Ball Recognition in the Official Inaugural Event Program

Platinum Inaugural Benefactor - $25,000 contribution Two tickets to the Inaugural Benefactors' Dinner Two tickets to the Inaugural Swearing-in Ceremony with preferred VIP seating Six VIP tickets to the Sponsors' Reception and Inaugural Ball Recognition in the Official Inaugural Event Program

Gold Inaugural Benefactor - $15,000 contribution Two tickets to the Inaugural Swearing-in Ceremony Six VIP tickets to the Sponsors' Reception and Inaugural Ball Recognition in the Official Inaugural Event Program

Silver Inaugural Benefactor - $10,000 contribution Two tickets to the Inaugural Swearing-in Ceremony Four VIP tickets to the Sponsors' Reception and Inaugural Ball Recognition in the Official Inaugural Event Program

Bronze Inaugural Benefactor - $5,000 contribution Two tickets to the Inaugural Swearing-in Ceremony Two VIP tickets to the Sponsors' Reception and Inaugural Ball Recognition in the Official Inaugural Event Program

If past practice holds, you won't be able to swing a dead cat without hitting some of Pennsylvania's biggest corporations, political types and other generally wealthy folks. Added bonus: Most of them will probably have some kind of business before state government as well.

And, now this morning, you give lukewarm approval ratings to U.S. Sen. Bob
Casey (39 percent to 29 percent), but you still prefer him (45-35 percent) over an unnamed Republican and you still believe he deserves re-election (40-33 percent).

Meanwhile, you're split, 45-45 percent, on whether the federal healthcare reform law should be repealed (the poll was completed before Monday's ruling by a Virginia judge tossing a key part of the law).

On the other hand, you're big fans (69-24 percent) of the tax deal that the Obama White House negotiated with Congressional Republicans, but you're tepid on the POTUS himself, giving him a 44-43 percent approval rating. You're also narrowly split, 41-37 percent on Obama over an as-yet-unnamed Republican, and upside-down, 44-45 percent, on whether he deserves re-election.

That compares to a negative 46 – 49 percent approval rating July 14, when Commonwealth voters said, 48 – 42 percent, that the POTUS did not deserve re-election.

“Half of Pennsylvania voters say Sen. Robert Casey generally shares the same views as President Barack Obama, while 16 percent say he does not. A third, 34 percent, are not sure,” Quinny pollster Peter Brown said in a statement that drifted noncommittally into our in-box this morning. “Depending on how popular the president is in Pennsylvania in 2012, and how Sen. Casey conducts himself during the next 23 months, that could be a plus or a minus for Casey’s re-election prospects.”

What Goes On.Gov. Ed holds an 11:30 a.m. briefing in the Reception Room on the state of the state's budget.

On The Capitol Ideas iPod This Morning.
And, of course, today wouldn't be complete without our ongoing countdown of the Top 10 Best Christmas Pop Songs. At No. 8, it's Philly's own Hall & Oates with "Jingle Bell Rock." This is a great song. And an insanely bad video -- which is half of its charm.

Good Wednesday Morning, Fellow Seekers. Fresh from the crack research team at the Department of No-Brainerscomes a new Quinnipiac University poll this morning concluding that more than two-thirds (66 percent to 26 percent) of state voters favor selling off Pennsylvania's state-owned liquor stores.

And with Gov. Ed headed for the exits on Jan. 18, nearly six in 10 voters (59-27 percent) say they're optimistic that Gov-Elect Tom "No Chris Christie" Corbett's turn at the wheel.

Reminding us that voters remain a schizophrenic lot, 47 percent favor Corbett's pledge to not raise taxes to balance the budget, but a clear majority (52 percent) say he won't be able to keep the pledge. Even still, two-thirds of voters (65 percent) oppose raising taxes to balance the budget.

Howzat again?

Moving on, a majority of voters (52 percent) oppose leasing out the PA Turnpike to raise money to balance the budget, but a nearly equal number (51 percent) have no problem sacking state workers to staunch the flow of red ink.

Good Tuesday Morning, Fellow Seekers. Things are seriously picturesque around Capitol Ideas World HQ this morning. The Capitol is blanketed in the first snowfall of the season, and the snow is still in that wonderful clean place before it inevitably turn all slushy and gray.

It's hard, frankly, not to feel a little festive. Maybe it's having a 5-year-old around the house who, with Hanukkah barely a memory is already looking forward to Christmas. Either way, we find ourselves getting into the groove of the season, so we may even keep the snark to a minimum -- or add some nutmeg to it to help it go down easier.

Without further ado, here's the rest and the best of the day's political headlines.

Gov. Ed Firehosed ... ... some $84 million in taxpayer cash to 19 projects in Pittsburgh yesterday, ranging from a nursing training to a riverfront redevelopment in the city's famed Strip District, the Post-Gazette reports.

But in a move that could make those transition meetings kinda awkward, a spokesman for Gov.-Elect Tom Corbett says Steel City residents better not start spending the cash yet. Any project not yet under contract will be reviewed in the new administration.

"If Gov. Rendell continues to play Santa Claus with the taxpayers' money, rest assured that any promise that he has made since Election Day that does not have a completed, signed contract will be reviewed by Gov. Corbett when he is in office," spokesman Kevin Harley said.

Makes you wonder how far along the Rendellies are in their efforts to remove all the "Ts" and "Cs" from the keyboards in the executive branch ...

Yay!!! We're Saving Money ... ... kind of. The pension reform bill that lawmakers passed last month before skedaddling out of town so fast that they actually left a vapor trail will cost taxpayers an average of $5.2 billion a year for the next 10 years, the Associated Press reports this morning. The good news here is that that's less than the $6.4 billion a year (during the same time-frame) it would have cost taxpayers before the law was changed, the AP notes. Making us wonder whether accountants actually go to school to learn how to be deadpan, a bean-counter for the independent Public Employees Retirement Commission observed that, "no matter what you do, it's a big number." "You'll never make it all go away," the commission's executive director, James L. McAneny tells the AP. "That's one of the things about pension funding, is you've still got to actually fund it."

He argues the federal government doesn't have the constitutional authority to impose the requirement.

Other lawsuits are pending, including one filed by 20 states in a Florida court. Virginia is not part of that lawsuit.

The U.S. Justice Department and opponents of the health care law agree that the U.S. Supreme Court will have the final word.

More astute readers will recall that Pennsylvania became a party to the Florida lawsuit when then-gubernatorial candidate Tom Corbett, acting as state attorney general, joined with more than a dozen other state attorneys general.

Corbett was roundly criticized during the campaign for what Democrats saw as political opportunism. He's steadfastly defended the state's involvement in the suit, echoing Virgnia's arguments that the feds can't make people buy insurance.

Good Monday Morning, Fellow Seekers.
Well, we're back here at Capitol Ideas World HQ, where we've just thrown another log on the fire as a hedge against this very cold and very damp December morning. So while we try to get warmed up, why don't you check out the rest and the best of the day's political headlines.

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey ...
... tells the Times-Tribune this morning that he plans to vote in
favor of the tax-cut package negotiated between the Obama White House and Congressional Republicans.
More astute readers will recall by now that the bill extends unemployment compensation benefits even as it gives continued tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans -- Casey's not a fan of that part, by the way.
The extension of upper-income tax breaks would "further add to the debt," said Casey, who added that the estate tax changes in the bill are "far too generous and costly."
The Senate is expected to take its first vote today on the tax-cut package, the Associated Press reports.

The Tribune-Review Profiles ...
... incoming Lt. Gov. Jim Cawley, who most recently served as a Bucks County commissioner.
The 41-year-old Republican tells the newspaper that he plans to "let my work product in the lieutenant governor's office speak for itself" because he's in a "business where people formulate opinions on slim pieces of information or no facts."
Handy factoid -- Cawley, an attorney, passed the bar exam on his fourth try in 1999, putting him the company in the company of 30 of the 1,668 attorneys who took it that year.

Good Sunday Morning, Fellow Seekers.
We're coming to you this morning from a very crowded Amtrak train ferrying
Pennsylvania Society revelers back to Philly, Harrisburg and other points west. We're a little tired and thoroughly under-caffeinated, so before we take our inevitable nap between Philly and Elizabethtown, we wanted to leave you with a few parting thoughts on Pennsylvania Society 2010.

Saturday morning began, as it always does, with the Pennsylvania Manufacturers Association seminar at the Metropolitan Club at the edge of Central Park. This annual event, put on by captains of industry, for captains of industry, features an audience of several hundred power-brokers, policy-makers, political types, and, of course, us.

The whole business is supposed to be off-record, and reporters are theoretically not allowed into the cavernous conference hall where policymakers share warmed-over versions of their stump speeches.

Reporters, the understanding goes, are supposed to limit themselves to the lobby, all the better to cherry-pick slow-moving and hungover lawmakers. In practice, however, we are allowed to sneak into the conference space, and organizers look the other way in much the same way your parents used to when they'd check the liquor cabinet and realize that their liter bottle of Smirnoff had been topped off with tap water.

Yeah ... right. Like you didn't totally do that.

Anyway, since it's been Tweeted already, it's not breaking the sanctity of the confessional to note that Snarlen told a joke that cannot be repeated on a family 'blog and that Pat Toomey gave a speech on economics that was so moving and charismatic that we immediately had to leave the room and get more coffee.

Good Saturday Morning, Fellow Seekers.
Before we get too lost in Day 2 of this year's Pennsylvania Society bash here in NYC, we wanted to offer you a brief rundown on Day 1 of the annual gala at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in Midtown.

We rolled into town shortly after 1 p.m., and, after ditching our bags at our painfully Euro hotel, the first stop on our schedule was a reception put on by the Pennsylvania Broadband Cable Association at a sports bar called Tonic near Times Square.

On our way over, we ran into Republican consultant Charlie Gerow of Quantum Communications and his aide-de-camp Jessica Swan.

The reception at Tonic started slow, but steadily picked up speed as the afternoon wore on and the alcohol flowed. Munchies on the menu included coconut shrimp, mini-crabcakes and those ubiquitous slider hamburgers (not bad, actually). We didn't do anything stronger than ginger ale, which probably doesn't do much for our image, but work is work.

Spotted at the party: GOP consultant Ray Zaborney; state Sen. Jake Corman, R-Centre, who's making the rounds this weekend on his potential U.S. Senate run in 2012; Rep. Matt Gabler, R-Clearfield; state Sen. Bob Mensch, R-Montgomery, Sen. Daylin Leach, D-Montgomery, former Rep. Tom Gannon of Delaware County, and a bevy of various and sundry campaign-types and captains of industry.

This is, of course, where the primary theme of the weekend emerged: Trying to shake loose the names and identities of the members of the incoming Corbett administration. Wish we had news to share on that front, but we mostly came away empty-handed, though it was not for lack of trying. Those we spoke with were equally mystified by the Corbett camp's grand-jury approach to transition.

Good Friday Morning, Fellow Seekers.
We're off to Gotham for this year's Pennsylvania Society festivities. So keep it here for live updates, tweets and even a very special edition of "Politics as Usual."

To get things rolling, here's the preview story that ran in this morning's edition of The Big Paper.

If you can count on one thing as the mercury drops, it’s birds heading south for the
winter. But at least one migratory creature will be heading in the other direction this weekend.

Starting Friday, Pennsylvania’s political and chattering classes make their annual descent on Midtown Manhattan for a weekend of elbow-rubbing, hobnobbing and fund-raising during the annual Pennsylvania Society celebrations.

The must-attend event for power-brokers and aspiring power-brokers, the 111-year-old society weekend is a one-stop shop for political gossip, inside information on aspiring office-seekers and a chance for business leaders and politicians to network away from the Harrisburg fishbowl.

“It’s the highlight of my year,” said Charles Gerow, a Republican consultant from Harrisburg who’s been making the annual trek to Gotham for 35 years. “It’s an opportunity to break bread and spend time with people you don’t ordinarily get to see and share the camaraderie of the season with people you might otherwise be breaking lances with.”

The official purpose for the weekend of glad-handing and fund-raising is the gala dinner on Saturday night in the Waldorf-Astoria’s Grand Ballroom, where society members bestow honors on a worthy Pennsylvanian.

On the decade anniversary of his death, honors this year will be conferred upon the late Gov. Robert P. Casey Sr. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., and Casey’s widow, Ellen Casey, will accept the award on the late governor’s behalf, organizers said.

State Treasurer Rob McCord ...
... said today that he’d sign off on $650 million in borrowing sought by Gov.
Ed during his final weeks in office, ending a Democratic family feud between the administration and the state’s top elected fiscal watchdogs.

The amount is less than the $1 billion originally sought by Rendell. At a news conference, McCord, who, like Rendell, is a Democrat, said the amount was an “appropriate” one that would ensure funding for construction projects, such as a community care center being built by Lehigh Valley Hospital and the SteelStacks Performing Arts Center, through June of next year.

“I’ve rejected the proposal to issue $1 billion in debt,” McCord said. “It’s more than we need.”

Gov.-Elect Tom Corbett ...
... has named C. Alan Walker, 66, of Clearfield, to run the state
Department of Community and Economic Development, the transition announced this morning. It's his first Cabinet pick to be made public.

He's also a significant Republican donor. A quick swim through records at the Department of State show Walker has firehosed money onto GOP candidates including Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati and Appropriations boss Jake Corman, as well as the House Republican Campaign Committee.

Records show Walker donated a jaw-dropping $41,100 in personal contributions to Corbett's gubernatorial effort. While that's just a small chunk of the millions of dollars that Corbett raised during the cycle, it's still a decent chunk of change for a single donor -- captain of industry or not. Some of those contributions came in tranches of $5,000 and $10,000, records showed.

Back to the biographical stuff: Walker also currently serves as a member and is past chairman of the board of directors of both the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry and the Pennsylvania Coal Association.

He's also served on the business-friendly Pennsylvanians for Effective Government and was once a president of the Pennsylvania Society, conferring official residency in Establishmentville.

Walker received his bachelor’s degree in economics from Bucknell University and his master’s degree in business administration from the Penn State, the transition said.

“Alan Walker has an impressive and diverse record of achievement, in both the business and civic arenas,” Corbett said in a statement. “He will be a valuable resource to the Corbett-Cawley administration as we work to turn our economy around and take Pennsylvania into the future”

Good Thursday Morning, Fellow Seekers.
If you're a member of Pennsylvania's political and chattering classes, then the
chances are pretty good that you are a: making the great northern migration known as Pennsylvania Society at this very moment or b: you are preparing to depart for Manhattan tomorrow morning for a weekend of glad-handing and getting your hob nobbed.

Primarily as a public service, and also because we have space to fill this morning, we've provided you with the complete schedule of this weekend's festivities. Our thanks to the kind folks at PoliticsPA who did the actual grunt work of compiling this exhaustive list so that we may appear glamorous and in-the-know by posting it.

In addition to the usual must-attend events (the annual Pennsylvania Manufacturers Association seminar at the Metropolitan Club on Saturday and the Blank, Rome party on Friday), there's some Lehigh Valley-centric events in the offing as well, including U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent's reception on Saturday at The Mint, and a literacy fund-raiser on Friday night featuring a performance by Lehigh County Exec/aspiring rocker Don Cunningham's band.

This year's gala dinner in the Grand Ballroom at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel confers honors on the late Gov. Robert P. Casey Sr., on the tenth anniversary of his death. U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., and Casey's widow, Ellen Casey, will accept the award, organizers said.

Sometimes, there really is a light in the darkness.
And for the 33 miners trapped deep beneath the ground in Chile earlier this year, that light, and their eventual rescue, came with the help of a trio of Pennsylvania companies.

With leaders from the Chilean government at his side, Gov. Ed honored those firms -- Center Rock Inc., of Berlin, Somerset County; Aramark of Philadelphia and Schramm Inc., of West Chester, Chester County -- as state officials lit this year’s Capitol Christmas tree.

The mine rescue, coming amidst ongoing news of financial woe and economic misery, was the “feel-good story” of the year, Rendell told a crowd of several hundred people who gathered to watch the lighting ceremony in the ornate Capitol rotunda.

For years, the tree-lighting of the tree had been left to First Lady Marjorie O. Rendell. But with Gov. Ed set to leave office on Jan. 18 after eight years at the helm, this year’s flip of the switch was left to Governor-Elect Tom Corbett and his wife Susan.

The Corbetts were aided by Chilean Defense Minister Jaime Ravinet who, along with Chilean Ambassador to the United States Arturo Fermandois, also attended the ceremony.

Chile began 2010 planning to celebrate its bicentennial, but was soon hit by the one-two punch of a deadly earthquake in February and the mine collapse later in the year, Ravinet told the crowd in brief remarks.

The rescue, with the assistance of the Pennsylvania companies, was a story that “inspired us as a country,” Fermandois said.

Schramm’s Vice-President of Operations, Jim Dolan, said in an interview after the ceremony that the recognition given to the company was welcome, but “the recognition is to the miners who had the courage and the strength to live through 69 days underground, 17 days when no one knew if they were alive or dead.”

The 21-foot-tall white fir was donated to the state by the Crystal Spring Tree Farm in Lehighton, Carbon County. The family-owned farm also supplied the White House Christmas tree this year, said Fred Strathmeyer of the Pennsylvania Christmas Tree Growers Association.

The tree is decorated with 600 LED bulbs, which state officials say consume 90 percent less electricity than standard bulbs. The tree’s branches are hung with ornaments crafted in senior citizen centers around the state.

The tree will be on display in the Capitol rotunda from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., daily, through Jan. 7.

Good Morning, Fellow Seekers. We're running seriously behind schedule today, so here's our top five picks for the day:

1. The Return of the Return of the Return of Bonusgate: Just in time for transition, House Republicans caught up in the wide-ranging public corruption scandal -- former Reps. John Perzel and Brett Feese -- will ask a Dauphin County judge to toss the charges that have been filed against them. Taking a break from his very successful career in stand-up comedy, President Judge Richard Lewis could rule on those petitions today.

2. Como se dice, "Thanks for the drilling equipment?": Gov. Ed, officials from Chile and the Pennsylvania companies who freed the trapped Chilean miners earlier this year will light the Capitol Christmas tree in a noontime ceremony in the Rotunda. As ever, a tree from Carbon County has died for your sins so that the Easter Bunny could rise from the dead to give presents to all the good girls and boys on the last night of Hanukkah. Or something like that ...

3. Gov. Ed's efforts to sell $1 billion in bonds to finance construction projects across the state remains in limbo. During a news conference yesterday, Auditor General Jack Wagner said he remains as opposed to the plan as ever, arguing that the state has entirely too much debt and that he's gravely concerned about the debt that all government entities are carrying these days. Meanwhile, Corbett transition folks say they're still reviewing the list of projects pegged to the borrowing. That review could be done as soon as today -- but then again, maybe not.

4. A defamation lawsuit filed against Rep. Jesse White, D-Washington, will go to trial in April after the parties failed to settle their dispute during a meeting on Tuesday, the Tribune-Review reports this morning.Ray Bish, a Democratic committeeman from Washington County, is suing White over an Oct. 27 2008 post on White's blog. The post, entitled "Beware the Ides of Bish" shows three unflattering photos of Bish taken at a polling place.

5. Finally, today is the 30th anniversary of the death of John Lennon. Were he alive today, Lennon would be 70. Even more unsettling, at the time of his death, Lennon was 40, the same age we are now. That strikes just a little too close to home. In the spirit of the season, here's "Happy X-Mas (War is Over)," still one of the best holiday pop songs.

Secretary of Legislative Affairs: Annmarie Kaiser,41, West Hanover Twp., Dauphin County. Kaiser, the one-time executive director of the Pennsylvania District Attorney's Association has been serving as the acting chief-of-staff in the AG's office while Nutt was off in campaign land. An ex-Dauphin County prosecutor, she joined the AG's office in 2005.

Communications Director: Kevin Harley, 47. of East Petersburg Twp., Lancaster County, Harley, a Corbett veteran, was the AG's press secretary and campaign press secretary. He also worked on the campaign of GOP guv candidate Mike Fisher in 2002.

Director of Policy and Planning: Jennifer Branstetter, 38, of Camp Hill, Cumberland County. She's policy director for the Corbett transition and held the same post in the gubernatorial campaign. Branstetter was a deputy press secretary in the Schweiker administration and was communications director for the PA Bar Association.

In a statement, Corbett said he was "grateful that such an experienced and trusted group of professionals is joining my administration.“They have worked closely with me on daily basis for years and I look forward to continuing to work with them as we tackle the challenges facing Pennsylvania.”

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Two days of events will mark the inauguration of Tom Corbett as Pennsylvania’s 46th governor.
Corbett’s transition team said Tuesday that a performing arts program, a Catholic Mass and an inaugural ball will wrap around his swearing-in at the Capitol on Jan. 18.
The performing arts program will be 4 p.m. on Jan. 17 at Harrisburg’s Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts. The Catholic Mass will be 8:30 a.m. on Jan. 18 at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, a block from the Capitol.
Tickets to both are free, but seating is limited. Corbett will be sworn in at the Capitol at 11:30 a.m.
The Inaugural Ball will be 7:30 p.m. at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center in Harrisburg. When they become available, tickets will be $150.

Best-Remembered For His ...
... Sisyphean efforts to get rid of Pennsylvania's school property tax and an
ill-starred Republican bid for governor earlier this, now-former state Rep. Sam Rohrer of Berks County has just scored an entirely new kind of notoriety.

Rohrer, who retired at the end of the last legislative session, turns up in the pages of "The Intelligence Reort," a quarterly publication of the Alabama-based Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks hate group and hate-crime activity across the country.

Rohrer makes a brief appearance in the winter 2010 issue as part of a story about a mid-August gathering of self-described "patriots" and "strict constitutionalists" in Valley Forge last summer.

The conference, sponsored by a group called The American Policy Center, featured a "parade of of anti-government Patriot movement heroes. Each outlined a theory on the roots of the alleged sovereignty crisis and encouraged the audience to take action before time ran out," the story reads.

A brief inspection of the APC's Web site finds it trafficking in pretty boiler-plate conservative conspiracy theories about America's public schools serving as "indoctrination" centers for the Left and garden-variety fears that the U.N. is gunning for a global takeover. Pretty standard stuff -- though one may question Rohrer's decision, as an elected legislator, to partake in it.

Anyway ...

According to the piece, Rohrer, paraphrasing the American Revolutionary War hero Peter Muhlenberg, told attendees that "there is a time to pray and a time to fight. And I think the time has come to fight."

And that was it.

If you spent any amount of time around Rohrer on the campaign trail this year, then this is pretty familiar stuff. He made it pretty clear early on that he was no fan of increased influence from Washington. It was the kind of talk standard in Tea Party circles and just about guaranteed to give liberal-types a bad case of the bed-spins.

And while we recall Rohrer telling voters the time had come to metaphorically throw off the shackles of the federal government, we don't recall him ever specifically espousing violence as a means to that end, as this piece suggests.

That sort of talk was apparently left to other speakers, such as Michael Badnarick, a one-time Libertarian presidential candidate, who ratherly creepily reminded attendees that there were 85 million gun-owners in the United States, giving an entirely new meaning to "Power to the People."

"Dying for your country is not really the question," Badnarick told attendees at the Valley Forge gathering. "Are you willing to kill for liberty?"

Good Tuesday Morning, Fellow Seekers. We've just two subjects on our mind this morning -- elections and highway tolls. Blame the pace of the day's headlines, which seem unusually focused on those issues.

When Tolls Increase ... ... on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in January, drivers aren't going to see the new fares on their tickets, our friends at the Patriot-News report this morning. The argument for snookering drivers? Tolls are increasing 3 percent a year, so PTC officials say they'll save money by not printing up a new batch of tickets every year. Besides that, about two-thirds of Turnpike drivers use EZ-Pass, and thus, probably neither know nor care how much they're paying anyway. But if you must insist on knowing how much it costs you (economically, not spiritually or psychologically) to drive from, say, Harrisburg to the Ohio state line, there are ways for you to find out. You can visit the Turnpike Commission's Web page; call 1-866-976-8747 or ask a toll collector, since schedule sheets are available in Turnpike cash lanes.

We'll Dive Briefly Into The Political ... ... with the news that Our Rickwill decide sometime next year on whether he's launching a 2012 bid for the White House. "I'm getting here. I'm getting feelers on whether people think that what I'm saying, what I'm thinking, what I'm doing and what I've done is something they could get behind and be supportive of," he told the AP during an appearance in South Carolina over the weekend.br> More astute readers will recall that Republican Santorum, who got bounced out of the U.S. Senate in 2006 by Democrat Bob Casey Jr., has pretty much set up residence in the early presidential states of Iowa and South Carolina.

And We're Back With More Toll News. See the clever segues? We actually went to grad school to learn how to do this. The number of paying customers on the four Delaware River toll bridges is likely to drop if a planned toll increase is approved this week, the Inky reports. Suggesting that Philly motorists have perhaps perfected Star Trek-type transporter technology or are resorting to barges, traffic on bridges run by the DRPA dropped about 1 percent from 2009, after falling 5 percent a year earlier, the Inky reported. Traffic on the bridges had been going up until tolls were increased by $1 for cars in 2008. Tolls are set to rise by another $1 -- to $5 -- int the DRPA's 2011 budget, the newspaper reported.

And Now Back To The Politics. Democrat Dan Onoratoprobably doesn't have much to gain by seeking a third term as Allegheny County's elected chief executive, political experts tell the Tribune-Review this morning.Onorato, who lost the governorship by 10 points to Republican Tom Corbett last month, is waiting until January to announce whether he'll run again. Between now and then, he'll sign a new county budget and spend some time conferring with his family over the holidays. "All I can tell you is that I'm evaluating everything right now," he said. "Ultimately, and no matter how much talking you do, I have to make a decision sooner or later. So it's going to be my decision -- after I get a lot of input."Onorato is holding a reception at this weekend's Pennsylvania Society bash in Manhattan, suggesting that he's not quite ready to exit the political stage.

The Composition ... ... of Governor-Elect Tom Corbett's transition team is coming under fire from Democrats and government reformers because of its ties to industry and companies that are regulated by state government, the Associated Press reports this morning. The 400-member team was selected to help guide Republican Corbett, the current attoney general, as he prepares to take office on Jan. 18. On the campaign trail, Corbett railed against the influence of special interests in state government. Critics find it ironic that he's asked those same insiders to help him for his new administration. "We're extremely concerned," Democratic State Chairman Jim Burn said. "Disappointed? Yes. Surprised? No."

A Dauphin County Judge ... ... is considering requests to toss charges filed against Republican defendants in the Bonusgate corruption case, the AP also reports. The dismissal motions filed by former state Reps. John Perzel of Philadelphia and Brett Feese of Williamsport, and most of their co-defendants, are among the slew of pretrial motions now before Judge Richard Lewis. The proceedings begin Wednesday.

We Loved This Too Much Not To Share.

We really need to get one of those meditation chambers ...

Because It's Never Too Early To Plan Ahead Dept. ... state Sen. Jake Corman, R-Centre, is apparently lying awake at night, dreaming about becoming the next U.S. senator from Pennsylvania. Unless, of course, things go horribly wrong with the state budget. “If we don’t get a balanced budget in a timely fashion this year, then I don’t have much to run on," he tells Capitolwire this morning.

Quickie Soccer Link. Things are not going well at Aston Villa, where the team are teetering just a few points above the relegation zone. In a classic bit of European understatement, manager Gerard Houllier admits the team are suffering "a crisis of confidence."

On The Capitol Ideas iPod This Morning. We never get tired of this tune. Here's Fatboy Slim and "Weapon of Choice."

And Finally ... ... today is the 69th anniversary of the attack on the U.S. Naval base at Pearl Harbor. Take a moment to remember those who served and those who never came home on that horrible morning. A remembrance ceremony is scheduled for this morning in the state Capitol.

Good Monday Morning, Fellow Seekers.
Here's a piece that was supposed to run in The Big Paper over the weekend, but, for one reason or another, never made the cut. Think of it as just another unreleased B-side for your enjoyment.

HARRISBURG _ The appearance of this year’s Capitol Christmas Tree in the Capitol
Rotunda last week wasn’t the only sign this week that change is in the air here in the seat of power.

In just a few weeks, Republican Tom Corbett, the current attorney general, takes the oath of office, putting an end to Democrat Rendell’s eight-year-old administration. And for the second time since 2006, Democrats and Republicans are swapping their reins of power in the 203-member state House.

Everyone – from the most senior official, to the lowliest legislative staffer – has been caught up in the whirlwind of change sweeping through the 104-year-old Capitol building.

In a unanimous decision Friday, the state Supreme Court upheld the Commonwealth Court in rejecting a challenge by beer distributors that dominate takeout beer sales in Pennsylvania.

The distributors sued Wegmans and the state Liquor Control Board, arguing that restaurants at Wegmans supermarkets violate laws restricting beer sales in the state. The court ruled that Wegmans followed the law carefully.

Wegmans lawyer R.J. O'Hara calls the ruling good news for both his client and dozens of businesses whose plans for similar restaurants have been challenged and were put on hold in Commonwealth Court until the Wegmans case was resolved.

"44. Pennsylvania
Why did the Amish choose Pennsylvania? Maybe because it makes barn-raising and noodle-pressing look infinitely preferable to modern life. Not to suggest that the Keystone State is "modern": With the collapse of Big Steel, PA's principle exports are puke, Taser videos, and Arlen Specter. (Two of these are courtesy of Phillies Nation, widely considered one of the country's most barbaric fan cultures.) It's enough to make you get in your buggy and drive til the horse keels over (or gets vomited on by a Phillies fan)."

We will now run to a respectful distance to get out of the way of Philly sports fans, whom we know from personal experience to be vengeful and without remorse (or proper grooming habits, for that matter), as they rush to burn down GQ's office tower.

In case you were wondering, the 50th worst state is Massachusetts, which is "home to some of the slimmest, best-educated and least-trigger-happy hobbits on earth."

Top honors for the worst state go to Arizona, which comes in first for, among other things, "a shocking new law [that] instructs beat cops to question anyone who seems illegal, implicitly threatening deportation if they can't produce proof of citizenship on the spot."

The editors also slam Coyote State senior U.S. Sen. John McCain for "tacking desperately ever-rightward, past Archie Bunker on his way to Nazi bunker." They also use lots of words to describe Arizona's wonders that we can't reproduce in a family blog.

Good Morning, Fellow Seekers. So here's some sure signs that the holiday season is upon us:

1. This year's Capitol Christmas Tree has arrived and is beginning to take shape in the Capitol Rotunda. Crews put up the tree two days ago and decorations appeared on its boughs yesterday. All that's missing is the little white fence and fake presents that ring the tree. The formal lighting ceremony, we believe, is next week.

2. Earlier this week, local Jewish leaders lit the Capitol menorah and filled the East Rotunda with celebratory sounds on the first night of Hanukkah. We've lit our menorah at Casa de Capitol Ideas, and the customary gorging on latkes will commence on the weekend.

3. Next weekend, Pennsylvania's political and chattering classes make their annual northern migration to midtown Manhattan for Pennsylvania Society festivities. The Saturday night dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria almost seems like an afterthought compared to the receptions and fund-raisers that will take place across Midtown next week. We'll be there, as always, providing live coverage.

And,finally, we couldn't let the beginning of Hanukkah pass by without posting one of the greatest seasonal tunes of all time. Of course, we're talking about Adam Sandler and his immortal "Hanukkah Song."

The rest of today's news starts, as always, after the jump:

You'd Think With Breakfast Meetings ... ... they'd recognize the need for sunshine. Nonetheless, the AP reports this morning that MontCo DA Risa Vetri Ferman is looking into whether county commissioners Jim Matthews and Joe Hoeffel violated the Sunshine Act when they met for breakfast at a local diner. On Wednesday, Matthews and Hoeffel acknowledged to the Times-Herald of Norristown that they'd been regularly meeting for breakfast, but denied discussing county business. After the Times-Herald published a story on their coffee klatches, Hoeffel said county business did come up (duh) but he claimed he and Matthews had not deliberated or discussed how to vote. The county's other commissioner, Republican Bruce Castor, was not part of the breakfast meetings, the AP reported.

Fun With Figures Dept. Doing the math so we don't have to, our friends at Capitolwire report this morning that Gov.-elect Tom Corbett outspent Democrat Dan Onorato, by a nearly two-to-one margin during the fall general election. According to figures released yesterday, Onorato spent about $10.7 million to Corbett's $20 million during the fall contest. And in the final days, the successful Corbett dropped almost $6 million more than his opponent.Corbett also out-raised Onorato by $2.9 million - $4.8 million for him, to Onorato's $1.9 million during the month-long reporting period that began on Oct. 19, two weeks before Election Day. In all, Corbett raised $24.5 million over the campaign, compared to Onorato's $21.4 million, Capitolwire reported.

Some Pictures ... ... are just too weird not to share. Case-in-point,here's Snarlen giving House Speaker Nancy Pelosi a chocolate bar to honor their bet in the National League Championship Series between the Phillies and the San Francisco Giants.

U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey ... ... says Congress should extend jobless benefits, but has to pay for it by cutting spending elsewhere in government (no tax cuts for the wealthy, maybe?). "We are running really a staggering deficit, and a federal government that's spending too much money, running too big a deficit, actually prevents us from creating the kind of jobs that we need so badly," Toomey told the Tribune-Review.

Governor-Elect Tom Corbett ... ... was in Washington yesterday, where he and a bunch of other freshmen guvs got to have lunch with the POTUS, the Inky reports.Corbett joined 22 other newly elected governors for a lunch and a meeting with President Obama and Vice President Biden at Blair House, across the street from the White House.Obama told the new governors that protecting middle-class tax cuts was "issue number one." Biden told them to call him if they ran into red tape. It's not known if Corbett had anything much to say, the Inky reported. We'll go out on a limb here and guess no.

What Goes On (Nakedly Political Edition).
If you're in Pittsburgh around noontime today, you can always swing by a reception for Allegheny County Controller Mark Flaherty, who's holding a $1,000-a-head reception at the Pittsburgh Rivers Club. Flaherty has been mentioned as a possible successor to current County Exec Dan Onorato.

In The Blogosphere. Predictably, PAWatercooler is having a field day with the Matthews/Hoeffel breakfast meeting story -- can't say we blame 'em; Young Philly Politics pauses to remember the first anniversary of attacks on Asian students at a South Philly high school; Above Average Jane logs the PA votes in the U.S.House on the tax cuts; Mark Rauterkus on an education policy breakfast in Oakland, Pa., next week; Policy Blog on the state's "unemployment compensation time bomb"; Bernie O'Hare runs Charlie Dent's statement on the Rangel censure; Wonkette on the Christine O'Donnell memoir destined for a remainder bin near you!; Andrew Sullivan wonders where America's corner pubs are; Red State throws a shout-out to Nancy Pelosi; Daily Kos has your abbreviated pundit round-up, and here's this morning's Playbook.

On The Capitol Ideas iPod This Morning. It's the return of the Friday Morning Playlist. You know the drill -- hit shuffle. First 10 results go in the comments section. We'll go first.

Friday's Gratuitous Soccer Link.The World Cup in Quatar? In June? Seriously FIFA? SERIOUSLY!!!??? What? You didn't like the bid from Mercury? Or The Sun didn't come across with the right offer? It'll be a month of watching players melt on the pitch.

OK. That's it for now. We'll be back later with more, including this week's installment of "Politics as Usual." And remember, you can always subscribe to live updates via our hand-crafted Twitter feed.

Rendell needs the sign-off from both Wagner and state Treasurer Rob McCord, who said yesterday that he wants to consult with Governor-Elect Tom Corbett, whose administration would have to pay off the debt. Corbett's office said the new guv is reviewing the matter.

If McCord refuses to give his endorsement, administration officials warned that current projects would be halted in their tracks and workers sent home, which could lead to litigation. No new projects would be funded with the money.

"It's a brouhaha, and it's unfortunate," said administration chief-of-staff Steve Crawford, who is doubtless counting the days left before he returns to his true-love -- daredevil motocross riding over pits filled with ravenous alligators (which, when you think on it, is sorta what budget negotiations are like).

"This is not a bond issue that finances 'going-away presents," Crawford continued, lifting his head from the small half-moon indentation on his desk created by his repeatedly banging his head against it. "These are ongoing projects for improvements to universities, dams, bridges and prisons."

Wagner sent a letter to Rendell, telling him that the state's debt had increased 39 percent from $6.1 billion in June 2002 to $8.4 billion last month.

Adding $1 billion would increase the debt an additional $12 percent to $9 billion, which is, according to Wagner, "too much to put on the backs of our children and grandchildren," presumably because kids have bad posture already and insist on wearing their jeans down around their ankles while they listen to the rap music.

The two fiscal watchdogs said they believe there's enough money in reserve from previous bond issues to pay for projects at least through next month, the Inky reported.

This is just like one of those big Russian family novels where everyone's unhappy in their own way ...

It's A Fifty-Fifty Picture.
Despite a national and state economy that still looks like Rome after the Vandals
rode through town, Pennsylvania is still slightly ahead of the curve in its tax collections, the Department of Revenue said this afternoon.

The state collected $1.6 billion in general fund revenue last month, which was 0.3 percent less than anticipated. Year-to-date collections are $9.2 billion, which is $14 million, or 0.2 percent above estimate, the Revenue Department said.

Here's the rest, by the numbers:

Sales Tax: $661.2 million for November, $26.8 million above estimate. Year-to-date sales tax collections total $3.5 billion, which is $71.3 million, or 2.1 percent, more than anticipated.